Snap-on hub-cap or other closure



April 1934- H. F. REICHENBACH 1,953,634

SNAP-ON HUB CAP OR OTHER CLOSURES Filed Jan. 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 3, 1934. H. F. REICHENBACH SNAP-ON HUB CAP OR OTHER CLOSURES Filed Jan. 19. 1932 2 Sneets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT @FFEQE SNAP-ON HUB-CAP OR OTHER CLOSURE Waterbury,

Conn, a corporation Application January 19, 1932, Serial No. 587,481

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in snap-on caps or closures, and particularly to snap-on hub-caps, though not so limited.

' The main object of my present invention is to provide a simple, reliable and attractive snapon cap or closure constructed with particular reference to both ruggedness and low cost for manufacture.

With the "above and other objects in view as will appear from the following, my invention consists in a snap-on cap or closure having certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view looking toward the inner face of a hub-cap embodying my invention and showing the same partly in section;

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a broken, detail, sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a broken, transverse, sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the doubleended retaining-clips.

The particular snap-on hub-cap herein chosen for the illustration of my invention consists, as shown, of a shallow cup-shaped body 10 preferably formed of relatively-heavy sheet-metal and consisting in the main of an end-wall 11, an annular, transversely-roimded rim 12 and an inwardly-extending, annular centering-flange 13 of less diameter than the said rim. Applied over the outer face of the end-wall 11 of the body 10 is a face-plate 14 of relatively-light sheet-metal having an annular portion 15 spun over the rim 12 of the said body. The face-plate 14 may be shaped into any desired decorative configuration and preferably, as shown, the end-wall ll of the body 10 substantially conforms to such decorative features so as to firmly support the relatively-thin face-plate.

At equidistant points, the centering-flange 13 of the body 10 is inwardly struck to form three (more or less) bosses 16, corresponding to each other and each having secured against its inner face in any suitable manner, such as by a rivet 17, a double-ended resilient retaining-clip 18 having at each of its respective opposite ends an outwardly-turned tapered retaining-finger 19 projecting outward through a clearance-opening 20 formed in the said centering-flange 13. As shown, each of the bosses 16 supporting the respective retaining-clips 18 is flanked on each or its respective opposite sides by one of the said clearance-openings 20 so that the respective retaining-fingers 19 of each retaining-clip is enabled to project outward through the centeringfiange 13 so as to engage the inner face of the inturned flange 21 of a wheel-hub 22, which in itself forms no part or" my invention and which is shown by broken lines in Fig. 4 of the drawmgs.

Preferably and as shown, the clearance-openings 20 in the centering-flange 13 are slightly longer from front to rear than the width of the retaining-fingers l9 projecting therethrough, so that each retaining-clip 18 may, to a slight extent, rock upon its complementary rivet 17 to thus compensate for inequalities in the hub 22.

My improved cap may be applied to the hub 22 (represented by broken lines in Fig. 4) of an automobile wheel or to any other properly-proportioned opening by forcibly moving the cap toward such an opening so that the complemen- 7 tary retaining-fingers 19 of each of the resilient retaining-clips 18 will yield and enter into the mouth of the opening, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. When so applied, the cap is retained in place by the tension of the retaining-clips and may be readily removed by prying its edge away from the hub 22 or such other device as it may be applied to.

By providing a, double-ended retaining-clip, having at each of its respective opposite ends a retaining-finger, the means employed for fastening the clip in place, such as the rivets 17, is relieved of the strain incident to a prying action, which latter occurs when a single finger is em-- ployed. Thus, it will be seen by reference to broken lines in Fig. 1 that when the cap is snapped into the hub 22, both ends of each retaining-clip will simultaneously flex and thus apply an axial strain upon the rivet or other fastening means rather than a prying action, as already described.

Furthermore, by employing the double-ended clip, as described, I not only avoid undue strain upon the rivets 17 or other suitable fasteningmeans, but without the addition of extra parts, provide a multiplicity of retaining-points.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that my invention may assume varied physical forms without departing from my inventive concept and I, therefore, do not limit myself to the specific embodiment herein chosen for illustration, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A snap-0n cap comprising a body having a centering-flange extending rearwardly therefrom in a direction substantially parallel with the axis thereof and formed with a pair of spacedapart clearance-openings and an inwardly-offsetting boss intermediate the said clearanceopenings; and a substantially U-shaped resilient retaining-clip pivotally secured intermediate its respective opposite ends to the inner face of the inwardly-offsetting boss of the said centeringflange and provided with two retaining-fingers respectively located at its said opposite ends and projecting outwardly through the respective clearance-openings in the said centering-flange, said openings being sufiiciently larger than the said retaining-fingers to permit the same to move therein as the retaining-clip pivots.

2. A snap-on hub-cap comprising a body having a rearwardly-extending centering-flange, and a plurality of sheet-metal, resilient retainingclips, each said retaining-clip extending along, and pivotally secured intermediate its length, flatwise against the inner face of said centeringfiange and having transverse, integral, sheetrmetal, hub-engaging ends extending outwardly 2 beyond the outer face of said centering-flange,

each said hub-engaging end being adapted to move edgewise of itself about the pivot of its retaining-clip to permit both hub-engaging ends of each retaining-clip to be thrust edgewise against the wall of a hub-opening to lock the hub-cap therein.

3. A snap-on hub-cap comprising a body having an annular flange extending rearwardly from the body and provided with pairs of spaced-apart holes, and a plurality of sheet-metal, resilient retaining-clips, each said retaining-clip extending along, and pivotally secured intermediate its length, flatwise against the inner face of said flange between a pair of spaced-apart holes and having transverse, integral, sheet-metal hub-engaging ends, each said hub-engaging end extending through one of said holes and having a flat edge and being adapted to move edgewise of itself about the pivot of its retaining-clip to permit said flat edges of both hub-engaging ends of each retaining-clip to be thrust edgewise against the wall of a hub-opening to lock the hub-cap therein.

4. A snap-on hub-cap comprising a body having an annular flange extending rearwardly from the body and provided with pairs of spaced-apart openings, and a plurality of sheet-metal, resilient retaining-clips, each said retaining-clip extending along, and pivotally secured intermediate its length, flatwise against the inner face of said flange between a pair of spaced-apart openings and having transverse, integral, sheet-metal hubengaging ends, each said hub-engaging end extending through one of said openings and being adapted to move edgewise of itself about the pivot of its retaining-clip to permit both hub-engaging ends of each retaining-clip to be thrust edgewise against the wall of a hub-opening to lock the hubcap therein.

HOWARD F. REICHENBACH. 

